As per the reports, in predominantly Muslim areas such as Shivaji Nagar, Mumbadevi, Byculla, and Malegaon Central, voter turnout during the Lok Sabha election was significantly higher than in nearby assembly segments. This increase has been attributed to heightened ‘awareness’ and concerns within the Muslim community, with targeted efforts over the past year.
The Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh, collaborating with over 180 NGOs, has been actively working within Muslim communities to boost voter enrollment. The group has organized meetings and informational sessions for Muslim voters across the state, urging them to vote for the MVA alliance led by the Congress under the guise of spreading ‘vote awareness’.
“These efforts resulted in a voter turnout exceeding 60% in the Lok Sabha election about 15% higher than previous averages. We encourage Muslims to support secular candidates and vote in line with constitutional values. Our collaboration with other organizations and religious leaders has produced a stronger response. Over 200 meetings have been conducted statewide, contributing to the increase in turnout,” stated Fakir Mehmood Thakur, the organization’s leader.
Thakur also highlighted that concerns among Muslim voters regarding central government policies, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), contributed to the high voter turnout during the Lok Sabha elections. He added that these issues remain relevant in the ongoing state elections.
Shakir Shaikh, coordinator of the Maharashtra Democratic Forum, shared that the forum held at least 70 meetings statewide in the past two months, including 18 in Muslim-majority areas of Mumbai, Maharashtra. “Awareness and voter turnout among Muslims were traditionally quite low, but issues like the CAA, the Uniform Civil Code, and the Waqf Bill have motivated more people to vote. Our awareness initiatives and voter registration drives have played a role in boosting turnout during the Lok Sabha elections. In Mumbai alone, we’ve registered at least nine lakh new voters, and the response has been very positive,” he said.
It is crucial to note that while a report by Hindustan Times states that around 180 NGOs are working to mobilize Muslim votes on the ground, a report by Zee News states that the number of such NGOs who promote ‘vote jihad’ is around 400. The media stated that it received a leaflet from the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangha who were spreading hatred against the BJP under the guise of spreading awareness about voting.
#BreakingNews | महाराष्ट्र में बड़ी साजिश का खुलासा, BJP को हराने के लिए 400 NGO सक्रिय, जागरुकता के नाम पर BJP विरोधी माहौल #Maharashtra #AssemblyElection2024 #NGO @Chandans_live @pratyushkkhare pic.twitter.com/2VIvKcrPD3
— Zee News (@ZeeNews) November 8, 2024
Meanwhile, BJP’s Kirit Somaiya alleged that ‘vote jihad’ was also practised during Lok Sabha elections. “This plan has been going on for the last 12 months. It’s a well-planned conspiracy. I visited several localities during the Lok Sabha polls and saw Muslim women being polarised. I even published a book ‘Vote Jihad’ to highlight these issues. They are hatching a poisonous conspiracy. They want to spread riots,” said Somaiya further raising questions over funding of such organizations.
He said that he had sent a complaint to the Election Commissioner in this regard. “This is an attempt to provoke the religious sentiment of the people,” he added. Notably, Somaiya has also filed a police complaint against the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh for planning and executing such conspiracy against the BJP, further causing harm to the democratic fabric of the state.
I filled complaint at Mulund East Police Station against Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh & such other NGO's for Provoking Muslims & indiltinto Religious Campaign.
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) November 8, 2024
My Complaint to Election Commission is forwarded to Mumbai City Collector @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/M3b48HlwoJ
Notably, the leaflet poses several questions to Muslim voters, asking whether they would support a party that aims to close madrasas, interfere with Sharia law, or impose a Uniform Civil Code on Muslims, among other issues. It also encourages Muslims to vote for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, a coalition of Congress, NCP-Sharad Pawar, and Shiv Sena-UBT.
It is important to note that a study by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on 5th November has also revealed that the Muslims and illegal immigrants in Mumbai are changing the demography of the region and influencing politics by voting for specific political parties. The study, conducted by TISS pro-vice-chancellor Shankar Das and assistant professor Souvik Mondal, also claimed that illegal immigrants are influencing the city’s socio-economy by taking low-skilled employment, resulting in pay suppression and annoyance among locals.
“Some political entities are alleged to use illegal immigrants for vote-bank politics, which can disrupt the democratic process. Claims of voter registration manipulation, where undocumented immigrants allegedly obtain fake voter IDs, raise concerns about electoral fairness and the integrity of India’s democratic system,” the study alleged.
The authors of the study further happened to blame several NGOs and religious groups who ended up helping these immigrants which caused to change in the demography of the region and influenced the economy and politics. “Due to strict regulations, registered NGOs often avoid assisting illegal immigrants, leaving undocumented NGOs to fill the support gap without legal authority to challenge exploitation or advocate for migrant rights,” the study read.
OpIndia had after the Lok Sabha elections concluded in May-June 2024 reported that the Muslims had mobilized in the state of Maharashtra to specifically defeat the BJP. Islamists had issued fatwas, raised Islamic flags in MVA rallies, and urged voters to vote for Shiv Sena (UBT), INC and NCP (Sharad Pawar). This time also several NGOs under the roof of Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh are urging Muslim voters to vote against BJP, practicing ‘vote jihad’, the conspiracy downplayed by leftist Islamists and its supporters.
The 288 legislative assembly seats will go to the polls in a single phase on November 20 while the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
